Three-time Mayor's Marathon winner Paul Rottich of Portland, running alone in the lead, spotted a black bear in Far North Bicentennial Park, about 16 miles into the 26.2-mile race.

"The bikers were up front," he said, and scared the bear off the trail.

The near-encounter didn't disrupt Rottich's pace – he ran a personal-best time of 2 hours, 27 minutes, 11 seconds to become the third man to collect three victories — and the first to claim his wins consecutively — in the 44-year-old race.

Half-marathon winner Chad Trammell of Anchorage had an even closer encounter with a black bear. Alone in the woods near the Point Woronzof turnaround point for the 13.1-mile race, he came within 50 feet of the bear.

"I thought it was a dog at first," he said. "It went up a tree in a hurry. It was fun to watch."

Trammell, 33, said he considered slowing down or stopping to warn other runners but soon saw some race volunteers and told them so they could alert others.

Trammell went on to post a time of 1:15 in what he called a training run. A dentist who is one of the nation's top ultramarathon obstacle racers – he was the 2015 Toughest Mudder world champion — Trammell was about five minutes off his personal best.

For the day's fastest women, the wildlife du jour was moose, not bears.

Keri McEntee, a 28-year-old from Fairbanks, won her marathon debut in 3:04:25 — a performance that placed her eighth overall. She ran past a moose near mile 22 on the Chester Creek trail.

Yawn.

McEntee is an occupational therapist who moved from Glens Falls, New York, to Fairbanks two years ago – long enough to become moose savvy.

"I have literally almost run into a moose before," she said. "They don't faze me anymore."

Half-marathon winner Susie Rivard of Portland, who triumphed in 1:27:14, was plenty fazed when she saw a moose and a calf midway through her run.

Her job as an account manager for New Balance brings Rivard, 30, to Anchorage occasionally, but until Saturday she had never seen a moose while trail running.

"I freaked out," she said. "… The guy running next to me thought I was having an asthma attack."

A trio of races – the marathon, half-marathon and 5K – drew more than 2,600 runners and walkers from all over the world.

Victories in the 5K went to 16-year-old Daniel Bausch and 34-year-old Michelle Baxter, both of Anchorage.

Bausch, who will be a junior at West High this fall, averaged 5:09-minute miles while running a personal-best 15:58. He was the only runner to break the 16-minute mark.

Baxter was one of 10 people to finish in less than 19 minutes. Her time of 18:52 ranked her 10th overall. Nineteen countries and 48 states were represented, but not everyone will go home with tales of the wild side.

Allan Spangler, who recently moved from Anchorage to Juneau, didn't spot any bears or moose as he ran to second place in the men's marathon. He figured he had Rottich to thank for that.

"I think Paul scared (the bear) away," he said.

Spangler, who finished in 2:33:02, said Rottich did him another favor. The men ran together for the first few miles, with Spangler tucked behind Rottich most of that time.

"It was pretty nice running on his shoulder," Spangler said. "There was a headwind all the way to Fort Richardson."

After about seven miles, Rottich said, he checked his watch and thought, "I'm going too slow." He made a move on an uphill portion of trail and put a gap on Spangler.

Rottich shaved 66 seconds off his winning time of 2:28:17 a year ago and was more than five minutes faster than his 2015 winning time of 2:32:39. In 2014, his time of 2:32:13 put him less than three seconds behind his brother, David Kiplagat.

Rottich, 31, joins Kiplagat (2011, 2013, 2014) and Larry Seethaler (1978, 1980, 1986) as the only three-time men's champions in race history. The race's winningest marathoner is Gerri Litzenberger, a Soldotna runner who won seven women's titles in the 1980s and 1990s.

Rottich and Kiplagat both came from Kenya to run for UAA; Rottich ran cross country and track for the Seawolves from 2007-11.

These days he works at a grocery store in Portland. He said he runs one marathon a year – the Mayor's.

"It's like coming back home," Rottich said. "I have so many friends here, it's like home."